Broadcasters in the United States will end analog transmissions Feb. 17 and move entirely to digital. Every facet of broadcasting will be affected, and while the industry has been preparing for this switch for several years, some broadcasters are scrambling to ensure their new digital networks will be ready in time.

The transition will directly affect the roughly 1,500 local television stations and an estimated 11,000 cable headends across the United States. "When you combine DBS and cable subscribers in the United States, market penetration is close to 80 percent," says Jayant Dasari of Parks Associates, a Dallas-based consultancy which does research on digital and home networking markets. "Over 12 percent of American households rely on over-the-air programming, which translates to roughly 13 million homes. Each of these homes will need to do something before the February deadline."

From the article, "Digital Switchover Creates New Opportunities" by Greg Berlocher"

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